Embodiments of the inventive concept relate generally to semiconductor memory devices. More particularly, embodiments of the inventive concept relate to nonvolatile memory devices comprising reference cells, and related methods of setting reference currents.
Semiconductor memory devices can be broadly classified in two categories based on whether or not they retain stored data when disconnected from power. These categories include volatile semiconductor memory devices, which lose stored data when disconnected from power, and nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices, which retain stored data when disconnected from power. Examples of volatile semiconductor memory devices include static random access memory (SRAM) devices and dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices. Examples of nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices include various types of read only memory (ROM), such as MROM, PROM, EPROM, and EEPROM.
Among nonvolatile memory devices, flash memory is relatively inexpensive and provides relatively high performance and data storage capacity. Due to these and other attractive features, flash memory has achieved increasing popularity in recent years.
Flash memory can be divided into NAND-type and NOR-type flash memory according to different memory cell array architectures. NAND-type flash memory is suitable for mass storage because of its simple structure and is used in storage devices such as a USB memory sticks, MP3 players, a solid state drives (SSDs), and the like. On the other hand, NOR-type flash memory provides high-speed access and is often used to store program code. Accordingly, NOR-type flash memory is commonly applied to mobile terminals required to process data at a high speed.
Storage capacity and integration density are important parameters in both NOR-type and NAND-type flash memories. High integration density can provide these memories with high storage capacity in a limited chip area. Storage capacity can also be improved without increasing integration density by storing multi-bit data in each memory cell. A memory cell capable of storing multi-bit data is called a multi-level cell (MLC), and a memory cell capable of storing only one bit data is called a single level cell (SLC).
New problems arise when integration density is increased and MLC technology is employed. For example, one problem is that MLC read margins are reduced because more data bits/states are distributed within a limited voltage window. Further, high integration density typically involves small memory cells having small channel or drain currents. Under these conditions, the memory cells are more susceptible to noise such as random telegraph signal (RTS) noise, which can decrease the reliability of the flash memory devices.